Sri Lanka Memon Family Genealogy

BHAILA - Family #278

One of the most prominent Memon families in Sri Lanka. Many of its members have contributed significantly to both the country and the community in various aspects of life, political and professional.

Haji Ahamed Bhaila and his brother Haji Usman Bhaila, are the sons of a well known social worker in Kutiyana, named Haji Gani Bhaila who served as a member of the Kutiyana Municipality representing the Memon Community in Kutiyana. The brothers found employment in Ceylon way back in the 1940's within separate Memon business establishments. The elder was attached to Haji Sulaiman Taiyoob & Company in Jaffna, where he went on to become a partner. He moved to Colombo in 1955 in orfder to improve his business prospects and started his own Company, Haji Usman & Company in Third Cross Street, Pettah. The younger, Ahamed, went on to become the Managing Partner of H H Abdul Kareem & Company in Main Street, Pettah.

With the partition of India both brothers brought their families down to start a new life in Ceylon. Along with their families was also Abdul Latif Bhaila, Ahamed's father in law, who went on to start a textile shop down High Street n Wellawatte, Colombo 6, known as General Drapery Stores.

Usman was a founder member of the Memon Association of Ceylon in the mid fifties and was seriously involved in the betterment of the Muslims, both within Sri Lanka and overseas. When the MP, GG Ponnambalam, took over the Muslim Burial Grounds in Jaffna for the use of Tamil funerals, after Usman had left in 1955, he successfully managed to retain the said grounds for the use of Muslim funerals at the request of the Muslim Community in Jaffna. During the Indo-Pakistan war over the creation of Bangla Desh in 1971 he was responsible for obtaining clearance for many stranded Pakistani's who arrived in Sri Lanka as refugees, providing them food, shelter and even financial assistance. He even ensured that the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo issue them with travel papers for their safe return to their homeland in West Pakistan. Usman also took to politics and was the first ever Memon to contest a parliamentary election when he contested the Kalkudah seat as an Independent candidate. He was prsented with the title of Thajul Uloom, in Feb 1993, by the then President of Sri Lanka, D B Wijetunge, in recognition of his services to mankind.

1 Bhaila

    2  Haji Ghani Bhaila, Kutiyana

        3 Haji Ahamed Bhaila, started life modestly employed as a Salesman in Galle and went on to be involved in enterprises ranging from textiles, to poultry and plantations. Managing Partner of H H Abdul Kareem & Company. Tea Plantation and Poultry Farm were taken over by the Land Reforms Commission. Founder Member of the Memon Association of Ceylon. Actively involved in service activity with the YMMA in Mutuwal where he was residing in the early 1955's. Was in charge f thge Memon Hanafi Mosque on behalf of H H Abdul Karim & Company, who were the appointed Mutawalli's. Served as Trustee Layard's Broadway Jummah Mosque. Quazi of memon Community. Was fluent in seven languages even though he did not have a very extensive formal school education in his life. Champion of female education amongst the Muslim Community. Sent one of his daughters to Medical College and another to pursue Islamic Studies. Left one third of his wealth for charity in his inheritance. This Trust, he left behind, is managed by his four sons and has gone to build six Mosques in areas like Pasyala, Hapugastalava, Kattankudy and Sarvodayapuram. Also was used for the extension of a Madarasah in Tihariyah. VC's have also benefited from this Trust as a water supply scheme in Nelsonpura and the clean well scheme for safe drinking water in Anuradhapura.

            4 Hussein Bhaila, b:1949, Member of Memon Association in 1967 and went on to become President for four terms spanning a period of seven years from 1980-82 and again in 1997-2000. Lions Club Governor District 306B 1993-94. Served in a special committee for Muslim refugees displaced by political turmoil in the North in an organization known as Federation of Assemblies of Muslim Youth of Seylan, FAMYS, through which he became closely involved with he late MHM Ashroff, charismatic leader and founder of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. Member of Parliament, Sri Lanka Government. This acquaintance paved his way into Sri Lanka politics. Director of REPPIA (Rehabilitation of Persons, Properties, and Industries Authority). Chairman of the Freight Bureau. First Memon to head a Government Statutory Body. Member of Parliament, UNP National List in 2004, the same year he crossed over to the UPFA Government ranks. Deputy Minister of Advanced Technology and National Enterprise Development in Oct 2004. Deputy Minister of Plan Implementation 2005.

                5 Kadeem Bhaila, early education at Royal College, Colombo. Left for USA in 1992 to pursue higher education. BSc Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, Indiana, in 1996, moved to California where he worked as Project Engineer for IIT Industries, a fortune 500 Company, before joining Waterpick Technologies as an Advanced Manufacturing Engineer. + Kauser Ismail

                    6 Zain Bhaila

6 Thahir Bhaila

            4 Haji Ghani Bhaila

            4  Ameen Bhaila, Textile business, partners of TipTop Internationalk at Keyzer Street, Pettah, which imports and distributes quality "lock", "chain", "999" and "55", brand sarongs from India.

            4  Yaseen Bhaila, Textile business, partners of TipTop Internationalk at Keyzer Street, Pettah, which imports and distributes quality "lock", "chain", "999" and "55", brand sarongs from India.

                5 Shoaib Bhaila, passion for Aviation. Wycherly International School, Colombo. Flying at Katukurunda Airfield, earned his wings as a private pilot at the young age of 17. Left for Daytona Beach Campus in Florida where he strudied Aviation Business Administration. Nominated to the Deans List for each Semester. VP of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society and ETA Chapter. Completing his MBA (2006).

                5 Kamran Bhaila, President of many Clubs and Organizations including Interact Club at Wycherly International School in Colombo. Excelled in sports captaining the Under 17 Cricket Team. Presently (2006) studying Business & Management at Aston Business School in the UK.

            4 Ummu Habeeba Bhaila, first Memon lady doctor in Sri Lanka. MBBS Trivandrum Medical College India in 1979. Specialize in eye surgery. Diploma in Opthalmology University of Colombo 1986. Served at General Hospital Ratnapura, Eye Clinic of CMC as Opthalmologist. Conducted several eye camps in remote areas in Kalpitiya and Nagadipa. Presented research papers at the Annual Sessions of the Opthalmological Society & College of Opthalmologists of Sri Lanka. Editor of the Opthalmological Society of Ceylon in 1991. Awarded WHO Regional Fellowship on Prevention of Blindness in 1988, Most Outstanding Citizen in Medicine by Lions International in 2004. + Rizvi Rawoof, exponent of Martial Arts Sport known as Kurash from Uzbekistan over 3,000 years ago which involves bodily throwing ones opponents. President of Kurash Federation of Sri Lanka, VP of the Kurash Confederation of Asia, Chairman Commission for International Kurash Development. Introduced Kurash to the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force.

                5 Raiyan Rawoof, won several Karate tournaments locally, Bronze Medal at International Kurash Competition in Kent organized by the British Kurash Federation.

            4 Safiya Bhaila, Moulaviya, involved in Islamic studies, passing out from Kal-Eliya Muslim Ladies Arabic College. Catering, specialiy being Samoosa, Arabic Bread and Moghul Fair.

        3 Haji Usman Bhaila

            4 Umar Bhaila, b:1942, Secy Memon Association of Ceylon. Formed the first Memon Sports Club. Secy, Islamic Cultural Organization and Charter Member of the :Lions Club of Pettah serving as its first bulletin editor.

                5  Khalid Bhaila, b:1968, showman p[erformed daring magical tricks, locally and overseas. Known as "Magic Bhaila". First Memon to have won the National Magician of Sri Lanka award and has performed in India, Pakistan and the USA. Performed the only ever daredevil act of its kind, riding a motorbike on the 72 mile stretch from Colombo to Kandy, blindfolded.

Compiled by the Webmaster of the Sri Lanka Genealogy Website from available data in Sri Lankan archives together with data extracted from "Memons of Sri Lanka" - Men Memoirs Milestones, by Asiff Hussein & Hameed Karim Bhoja, May 2006, iSBN 955-1408-00-4, Published by The Memon Association of Sri Lanka